Parcel delivery provider Hermes has launched a new service that provides online shoppers with an estimated time of arrival (ETA) on next-day and standard deliveries. The service will initially provide customers with a four-hour window although this will be reduced to a two-hour window later this year.
Carole Woodhead, CEO of Hermes, said, “Recent research from Metapack revealed that two thirds of consumers are anxious about leaving their homes when they are expecting a delivery. In addition, a Retail Week study said 91% of end customers view time windows as the most important feature when selecting a delivery service. Therefore it is clear that the vast majority of consumers want the convenience of an ETA for all of their deliveries, and not just when opting for a premium service.”
The parcel carrier has also started construction work on a £31m (US$45m) state-of-the-art automated parcel distribution hub located in Rugby, Warwickshire, in the UK. The new super hub will be the single largest investment ever made by the company and will create approximately 200 jobs in the Midlands region. The 270,000ft² facility will be capable of processing 1.1 million parcels each day and will increase the company’s overall parcel processing capacity by 45%. The hub is scheduled to begin operations in August 2017.
Woodhead said, “As work begins at our new facility in Rugby, we are embarking on an exciting new chapter in the history of Hermes that will ensure we can continue to provide retailers with world class services and solutions. The hub’s enormous throughput capability and built-in flexibility will help to future-proof our business while also ensuring we are in the very best position to grow alongside our clients.”
As well as the new ETA service and Rugby delivery hub, Hermes is investing £18m (US$26m) in 20,000 state-of-the-art handheld scanners developed by Zebra Technologies. The company plans to have the devices in place by peak 2016.
February 3, 2016